Metatron_NA

Is it the same Fire Breath that all my Blasters have? Would Fire Sword actually be a better pick than Fire Breath?

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The reason I went Darkness mastery on my /fire scrap is because TT is aoe and webnade can only hit one.

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Damn, though webnade was a Targeted AoE. Maybe I will get TT, but it sucks that I would only get the benefit of it for 2 or 3 levels before I quit the character.

Maybe Caltrops could be my ghetto hold - keep peeps in Burn longer anyways?

NOTE: Especially focused on if I got the progression right from 1 to 40, Did I?

Thanks for the info. It's too bad that only some of the Scrapper primaries get an attack with an increased chance of critical.

Can anyone direct me or tell me precisely how this works? What the formulae for the chances of it going off? I assume that either it fires or it doesn't, and if it does you get 2x damage?

Thanks.

Excellent. So let's talk power selection and progression choices.

My thought is that it is really nice to have plenty of Endurance, especially with Hasten and fast recharging attacks using up the endo even more quickly - so why not get *both* Stamina *and* Consume? Also, comparing Web Grenade against Tenebrous Tentacles - I prefer Web Grenade I think - you get it 6 levels earlier, it's a 50 foot circle around a target instead of a 40 foot 30 degree cone, the recharge is 8s instead of 20, it casts faster and for less End - the only thing in favor of TT is the fact that TT does damage. But I think my Burn Patch alone will do enough damage, and that's 6 levels earlier.

I might want to find out if I can get a +perception IO to put in BU to help deal with any annoying Arachnos. Perhaps one or two -KB Steadfast IOs. Probably a Celerity +Stealth IO for Super Speed.

I worry about not taking Fire Sword - I figure Scorch is much faster to make the early levels more bearable - And I will have Cremate by level 2, BuildUp by 8, and FireBreath by 10. Will also have Healing at 4, which should help.

Also keep in mind that since I have been playing this game since Beta, I have a lot of Vet badges, so I will be able to also use the Nemmy Staff and Sand of Mu to fill in until my bigger attacks come in to fill out the chain.

So here it is. Would love to have my travel power, hasten, my attacks, Stamina, COnsume, AND my shields all by 20, but that's impossible, so I prioritized damage and endurance for the first 20 levels, and try to limp without some of my shields until the mid 20s. Good decision? Bad idea? I can't live without ENd or attacks, so I don't knwo what else to do.

One other note: with all the Vet Respecs I will have access to, there's no reason not to build the character one way for easy levelling in the earlier levels, and flip it around with a respec later, if that makes sense. Does it here?

Also, please keep in mind a) I retire all characters once they hit 50, and b) I only PvE.

Here is what I have so far, what do you guys think?

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Level 48 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Fiery Melee
Secondary Power Set: Fiery Aura
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Weapon Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Scorch -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Fire Shield -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Cremate -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Healing Flames -- Empty(A)
Level 6: Hasten -- Empty(A)
Level 8: Build Up -- Empty(A)
Level 10: Breath of Fire -- Empty(A)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 14: Super Speed -- Empty(A)
Level 16: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Fire Sword Circle -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- Empty(A)
Level 22: Plasma Shield -- Empty(A)
Level 24: Temperature Protection -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Incinerate -- Empty(A)
Level 28: Consume -- Empty(A)
Level 30: Burn -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Greater Fire Sword -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Fiery Embrace -- Empty(A)
Level 38: Blazing Aura -- Empty(A)
Level 41: Web Grenade -- Empty(A)
Level 44: Targeting Drone -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Exploding Shuriken -- Empty(A)
Level 49: Rise of the Phoenix -- Empty(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit

In the time I took to write my last reply, two more came in - the verdict appears to be that Fire/Fire may be *both* as fun *and* as effective as I hope...

Woot!

A few other notes about how I play this game, to help you guys better advise me:

I like to be able to solo with strength, because sometimes I can't find a team. However, I do love to team when I find one - and I love really making an obvious difference for the team. However, like I said, I do tend to use builds that can solo at least as good if not better, because sometimes you have no choice.

I play for the journey, not the destination. This means that as soon as my character hits level 50, I permanently bench him.

I only PvE, never PvP. Mostly, I like stomping on baddies.

I have liked and played over a dozen blasters and corruptors. I have a /sr stalker that can't be hit (softcapped). My Bot/FF MM was cool. I also made and enjoyed a Fire/Kin controller, before I decided that neither passive farming (being levelled while doing nothing) not *running* a farm were not for me. (I don't mind *active* farming - getting together with folks and running the same mish for a while, as long as the action is fast and furious, the glory high, and the risk low. (Not a risk junkie here - I play to stomp on *them*, not to ride the edge of them stomping on *me*.)

So, what's this you guys are saying about the FIre/Fire Scrapper being too squishy? I thought (and had hoped) that with Healing Flames I would be ok. After all, I can Heal for 50% of my Health every 14 seconds - won't that be enough? And in addition, I get around 35% Smash/Leth/NRG/Neg Res, 71% FIre, 12% Cold, and 15% Toxic. No Psi, but that's not that unusual.

All in all, at level 50, I will have 1339 HP. That means healing 669/14 sec, or about 48/sec. If someone hits me with say S/L, that means I can take about a 74 damage hit **every second**, which will get cut to 48, which will amount to 669 over 14 seconds, after which I heal 669 and am back up to full.

Does damage really come in much faster than that? And can other sets handle it that much better? I mean, /SR and other /def sets, sure - becuase you can actually get down to the cap of 5% chance to be hit - I know that, my stalker did. But apart from /def /SR, what's better than healing half your total HP every 14 sec?

I have between one and three of every other AT Red or Blue side, so I figure it's time to try out Scrappers.

I thought Fire/Fire might be good for the following reasons:

-Fire yields extra DoT
-Not only do I get BU, but I get Fiery Embrace
-Healing Flames has an unholy healing rate I remeber from my Fire/Fire brute.
-Consume can refill my End (at level 20), making Stam perhaps not necessary
-Add a Web Grenade at level 41 and Burn can really be effective
-I like magic/glowy looking powers with lots of visually dramatic oomph

I would probably get SuperSpeed/Hasten. Will certainly drop a Stealth IO in Superpeed. Will find a place to drop a KB io or two in. Not sure I need any other Pool Powers, though some could be interesting. Maybe Combat Jumping might add some good maneuverability.

So two questions: is Fire/Fire a good scrapper set? Comparatively?

And two, where can I find some Fire/Fire guides? All I found was a Fire/SR guide.

Thanks.

This is the thread in which all farming related discussion is supposed to be kept in:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....rt=all&vc=1

I don't think so, as I am not doing the *forbidden* thing - just talking about the results of it.

I pm'ed Mod08 with the idea of a place dedicated to Farming discussion, and lo and behold, an official farming thread is now available:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....=0#Post13423915

This will be the place for any and all posts about the effects of farming, stating whether you are pro or con and why, how to farm, techniques, etc.

(I had asked for an entire Forum devoted to Farming, so that all of our discussion wouldn't be in one massive thread, but I am still thrilled with a place to direct all such discussion, even if its just one thread. Woot!)

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I gotta hope after you get an enforced break from the boards after this spam-fest of yours.

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That's fairly unkind after I try to help *everyone.*

*sigh*

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....ue#Post13422914

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Cross posting is clearly against the rules and if mod8 feels a thread should be locked him surely will do so. Relax have a cuppa joe, nah just go take a walk or something mate.

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First of all, please for the love of god be be more careful, I believe that your post may itself be a technical violation of the Message Forum Rules and Guidelines.

Secondly, I am fairly sure that this does not count as cross posting as it is not only relevant, it is in the interest of helping unknowing posters from inadvertently breaking the rules. As this is happening on several threads, it must be addressed on several threads.

After all, if three different people asked how long Speed Boost lasted in three separate threads, would it be cross posting to answer each one? Obviously not - and this is much more important than that.

Thanks.

It has just come to my attention that any discussion that touches on farming is FORBIDDEN in this forum. Therefor, this thread may also by extension be FORBIDDEN.

Unfortunately, because of all the hush hush secrecy surrounding those who must not be named, I am not permitted to tell you why, because it is a technical violation of the Message Forum Rules and Guidelines to openly discuss moderator action on the boards - therefor I shan't.

What I *can* do is link to an informative post that should clear things up:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....ue#Post13422099

Sorry to be all cloak and dagger, but since certain subjects are FORBIDDEN this roundabout manner is the clearest way I have to let you guys know that you may be wandering into FORBIDDEN territory.

Please, do not reply to this post, as that may also get too close to FORBIDDEN territory if you openly discuss moderator action, which as I have just found out, is itself a technical violation of the Message Forum Rules and Guidelines.

Please respect the rules and avoid the FORBIDDEN topics and discussions. And for all you "free speech" advocates, please keep in mind that while that is all well and good, the only place you can validly invoke that is in your own home or in public. This is not a public place. This is a private forum, and the owners of the forum are not required at all to permit any kind of discussion that displeases them. And please do not bring up the fact that you are a paying customer, or that thousands of people use these forums, or even that as the official forums there is an obligation to free and open exchange. None of these things are true. The owners of these forums have the final say on what is permitted, and the ordinary poster has no rights at all.

You would be best to accept that fundamental truth, and simply just engage in these forums in ways in which the forum owners (and by extension, those they employ) approve of.

Do what you are told, and obey the folks in charge here, and constrain your actions and speech (and posts) in the manner desired by them, and you will be fine. Above all, avoid what is FORBIDDEN.

Make sense?

It has just come to my attention that any discussion that touches on farming is FORBIDDEN in this forum. Therefor, this thread may also by extension be FORBIDDEN.

Unfortunately, because of all the hush hush secrecy surrounding those who must not be named, I am not permitted to tell you why, because it is a technical violation of the Message Forum Rules and Guidelines to openly discuss moderator action on the boards - therefor I shan't.

What I *can* do is link to an informative post that should clear things up:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....ue#Post13422099

Sorry to be all cloak and dagger, but since certain subjects are FORBIDDEN this roundabout manner is the clearest way I have to let you guys know that you may be wandering into FORBIDDEN territory.

Please, do not reply to this post, as that may also get too close to FORBIDDEN territory if you openly discuss moderator action, which as I have just found out, is itself a technical violation of the Message Forum Rules and Guidelines.

Please respect the rules and avoid the FORBIDDEN topics and discussions. And for all you "free speech" advocates, please keep in mind that while that is all well and good, the only place you can validly invoke that is in your own home or in public. This is not a public place. This is a private forum, and the owners of the forum are not required at all to permit any kind of discussion that displeases them. And please do not bring up the fact that you are a paying customer, or that thousands of people use these forums, or even that as the official forums there is an obligation to free and open exchange. None of these things are true. The owners of these forums have the final say on what is permitted, and the ordinary poster has no rights at all.

You would be best to accept that fundamental truth, and simply just engage in these forums in ways in which the forum owners (and by extension, those they employ) approve of.

Do what you are told, and obey the folks in charge here, and constrain your actions and speech (and posts) in the manner desired by them, and you will be fine. Above all, avoid what is FORBIDDEN.

Make sense?

It has just come to my attention that any discussion that touches on farming is FORBIDDEN in this forum. Therefor, many threads within this forum are FORBIDDEN. I will be helping the posters in this forum to become aware of it as it comes up - I do not want anyone to get in trouble through not being aware of what is FORBIDDEN and accidentally straying into that FORBIDDEN territory. And so when I see thread that are clearly starying there, I will alert them. However, it is a good idea for all of us on this forum to be made aware of the danger we may put ourselves in by having certain open discussions here, in order to avoid doing so.

Unfortunately, because of all the hush hush secrecy surrounding those who must not be named, I am not permitted to tell you why, because it is a technical violation of the Message Forum Rules and Guidelines to openly discuss moderator action on the boards - therefor I shan't.

What I *can* do is link to an informative post that should clear things up:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....ue#Post13422099

Sorry to be all cloak and dagger, but since certain subjects are FORBIDDEN this roundabout manner is the clearest way I have to let you guys know that you may be wandering into FORBIDDEN territory.

Please, do not reply to this post, as that may also get too close to FORBIDDEN territory if you openly discuss moderator action, which as I have just found out, is itself a technical violation of the Message Forum Rules and Guidelines.

Please respect the rules and avoid the FORBIDDEN topics and discussions. And for all you "free speech" advocates, please keep in mind that while that is all well and good, the only place you can validly invoke that is in your own home or in public. This is not a public place. This is a private forum, and the owners of the forum are not required at all to permit any kind of discussion that displeases them. And please do not bring up the fact that you are a paying customer, or that thousands of people use these forums, or even that as the official forums there is an obligation to free and open exchange. None of these things are true. The owners of these forums have the final say on what is permitted, and the ordinary poster has no rights at all.

You would be best to accept that fundamental truth, and simply just engage in these forums in ways in which the forum owners (and by extension, those they employ) approve of.

Do what you are told, and obey the folks in charge here, and constrain your actions and speech (and posts) in the manner desired by them, and you will be fine. Above all, avoid what is FORBIDDEN.

Make sense?

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Amusingly, people are increasingly trying to dress up their Meow farms in story trappings. I wonder if anyone reads a word of it.

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Of course they don't. The entire point of dressing up your meowfarm in a story is to try to avoid the axe that everyone... EVERYONE... knows is coming by futilely pointing to your own meowfarm and saying "See? Mine has a story! Means its not just a farm!"

Of course, this is fooling no one...

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Anyone else get the impression that she is trying to convince herself with this? Desperately trying to make herself *believe*?

Sounds desperate. My commiseration.

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The higher the enemy class (min, lt, boss, EB, AV) the more tickets they have the potential to drop.

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Does anyone know the ratio?

Furthermore, assuming that one person does all the damage to a baddie soloing, does the same level minion always reward the same number of tickets if he awards any (that is, every time you defeat a minion you either get 0 tickets or X - or can you get any number from 0-X?)

If the number is constant - that when you do get tix it's always the same amount, what is the ratio of tickets from min/lt/boss?

Mod08 seems to be closing down a lot of farm related threads in this forum, even though they are directly on topic for discussion about Misson Architect and it's usage, asking in the last post of each one that he lock that we "limit conversations on farming to one of the existing topics."

Does anyone have any idea which thread in the "Mission Architect: Resources, Discussion, & Questions" forum he is talking about, or should we just be guessing and/or creating new threads in the absence of a clue about this?

Or is there no existing topic and this is a way to curtail discussion without looking like that?

Just trying to figure out what is the proper way to continue to discuss these important matters in this appropriate forum.

Thanks.

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- The existence of so many "Meow-50s" is really bothersome at higher levels as experienced teams must either tutor these inexperienced players, or the inexperienced players can make the difficult, higher level game content even more difficult by making "newbie" mistkes.

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I find I care less about the existence of these farms and spend more and more time having bizarre fantasies about slowly choking the life from the person who came up with such an irritatingly stupid name.

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/agreed

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I know we are all feeling a little defensive here, but let's no go to ad hominem attacks and instead let's keep it more civil - this is supposed to be a stickeable thread, not one that begs to be locked.

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To make this have potential for stickiness, I think you'd do well to pull out the insulting bit in your original post:

"3) insanely pro-RP and with a personal vendetta against people who play the game in ways one doesn't approve of
(which is more than a little cuckoo)"

And add a few missing categories:
New 3) Have a strong sense of what you consider just, and hate to see anyone in anyway gaming a system to the point that your efforts pale in comparison.

New 4) You believe you are in tune with what will keep this game healthy and moving along into the future as a viable and populated MMO for years to come. You believe blatant power-levelling and overwhelming farming focus will lower CoH to having a reputation as a console game with a great costume creator and a shelf life of three months.

New 5) You like things how they were, you absorb and enjoy a little bit of change. MA has introduced and exposed some very large changes to the way you are used to playing and you'd like your old game back.

Might make the difference between a sticky and a locked thread to start off fair handed rather than with a poisoned false alternative.

Personally I'm in category two, but category 4 is a good one to pay some attention to; this seems like a great (and communicative) development team, and I thnk they'll cover it just fine.

Frankly what many people are calling farming was called playing or grinding in most every other MMORPG I've played going back to The Realm. I probably killed a million Lugians in the same place day after day for months in Asheron's call just to raise my dagger skill a few percentage points.

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I take your point, and while I am not feeling your suggested alternatives, I will be editing the OP today to make it more stickie worthy, if permitted. Thanks for the feedback.

I don't think I agree with the implementation he suggested, but I am in 110% agreement with the basic reason:

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Farming practically must exist, but if it does, let it be an official and well controlled version.

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Hey guys and gals. Could you help me by answering this question for a project I'm working on?
Maybe a lot of people already answered this question but, when you're looking for or creating a story arc would you rather go for farming missions that has no story and give good XP or do you go for an Arc that has a good entertaining story and average XP? Why?

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First and foremost I want the story to have maximum rewards for the greatest number of different ATs that might play it, at the highest difficulty, but with fewest deaths of the players.

However, a CLOSE second is that a modicum of thinking effort *ought* to be enough to wrap around the bones of such a mission a halfway interesting story - it doesn't have to be shakespeare, or emo drama, but a basic storyline with some creativity really enhances the mish.

Bottom line, I have GOT to have great rewards, but I really LOVE those rewards dressed up in a decent story.

I know we are all feeling a little defensive here, but let's no go to ad hominem attacks and instead let's keep it more civil - this is supposed to be a stickeable thread, not one that begs to be locked.